Edge-wire support unit



J. GARRISON Feb. 4, 1969 EDGE-WIRE SUPPORT UNIT Filed Oct. 10, 1966 INVENTOR. JOHN GAAP/SOA/ A 7' rot/way United States Patent 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is characterized by the provision, on the opposite ends of a flat steel supporting spring, of snapin portions that have non-displaceable connection by one end with one of the cross bars of a sinuous or corrugated spring, and similar connection by the other end with an edge wire that is resiliently supported in spaced relation to a frame across which a plurality of such sinuous springs spans. The snap-in engagement of one end of the support spring with the sinuous spring holds the former in steady operative position, making it a simple matter to apply the edge-wire by snap-in engagement with the opposite end of the support spring, thereby reducing the assembly time of these items of upholstered furniture.

An object of the invention is to provide edge-wire sup ports having a soft edge character whereby the edgewire will return to its initial, normal position after being depressed, and providing assurance that the supports will retain their mounted positions without endwise slippage or dislodgement for any reason.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description, which is based on the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes, preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a frame provided with edge-wire support units according to a preferred form of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one of said units modified to connect with an edge-roll and a trailing edge-wire.

FIG. 4 is a similar view of another modification.

In the present disclosure, a preferably rectangular frame 5 is provided with a plurality of sinuous or corrugated load-bearing springs 6 that span across opposite sides 7 of the frame and are convexly arched between their clips 8 that connect the ends of said springs 6 to the top edges of said frame sides. Each such spring 6 comprises uniformly spaced cross bars 9 that are connected by alternately opposite loops 10. This frame structure is generally conventional and, per se, forms no part of the present invention.

It is common practice to provide such a frame with an edge-wire 11 at one or both sides thereof for the purpose of providing a soft edge to the cushion or other upholstery covering said frame and support springs.

According to the invention, each spring 6, adjacent to at least one end thereof, is provided with a support unit 12, as in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, or 12a, as in FIG. 4, to sup 3,425,680 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 port the edge-wire 11 in upper spaced relation to the frame 5. Each said unit 12 or 1741 is preferably formed of a strip of flat metal, of which spring steel, tempered so the same has limited springiness, is a primary example.

Each support unit 12 is formed to have an end 13 that is adapted for snapretention engagement with a cross bar 9 of a spring 6, an end 14 adapted for snap-retention engagement with an edge-wire, and an intermediate portion 15 which is in the form of a return-bend forming a loop 16. The ends 13 and 14 are alike in that they are formed as loops having restricted openings 17. A similar restricted opening 18 is provided in the loop 16.

Between the end 13 and the intermediate portion 15, the unit 12 is provided with a connection arm 19 that is preferably bent, as shown, to form a portion 20 that extends from the loop 16 and is adapted to pass through the space formed by two adjacent bars 9 of the spring 6. and a portion 21 that extends from the end 13 and is adapted to span across the next space between the mentioned bars and the connecting clip 8 at the end of the spring 6, and a preferably straight connection arm 22 between the end 14 and said loop 16. Said connection 22 is preferably longer than the connection 19, the same preferably being stiff or, if desired, stiffened by a longitudinal embossment or rib 23, as shown in FIG. 3.

The mentioned springiness left in the unit 12 after tempering provides for resilience of the loop ends 13 and 14 as well as the loop 16, so the respective restricted openings 17 and 18 leading to these loops may be resiliently spread merely by snap-in entry of either a cross bar 9, and edge-wire 11, or a trailing edge-wire 25 (FIG. 3), as the case may be.

The above-described unit 12, after its portion 15 is introduced into the space between two bars 9, may be applied by snap-in engagement of loop end 13 with a cross bar 9 that is nearer the connection clip 8. This leaves the unit firmly connected to the spring 6 since the portions 20 and 21 of connection 19 have over-andunder engagement with the spring between the loop end 13 and the loop-provided intermediate portion. The connection 22, partly due to the arch in the spring 6 and partly because the same is directed at an angle to the connection 22, will have an upwardly and forwardly directed position with the end 14 thereof spaced away or, as shown, above the frame 5. The same, while itself stiff, has resilience around the center of the loop 16 of the portion 15, can be depressed toward the frame, and will return to its unstressed position upon release. An edge-wire 11 snapped into the loop in the end 14 will, therefore, serve to support a cushion or other upholstery to provide a soft edge, as above mentioned.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the edge-wire, at one or both ends, may be bent to have return ends 25 that are entered in the loop 16 of the endmost springs 6 of the construction.

A hog ring 26 may encircle the portion 15 and the cross bar 9 most adjacent thereabove. To this end, as shown in FIG. 3, a suitable hole or holes 27 are formed in said portion 15 for said ring. In instances where it is desired to provide the wire 11 with an edge-roll 28, hog rings 29 may be applied to clip longitudinally spaced portions of said roll to the wire 11. Also, trailing portions of said roll 28 may be connected to the support connection arms 22 by hog rings 30 that pass through holes 31 in said arms.

In the modification of FIG. 4, the connection arm 22a may be similar to and preferably shorter than the arm 22. The same, at one end, has a wire-connecting end loop 14a and, at the other, a re-entrantly bent offset 32 that has snap-retention engagement with a cross bar 9 after a hook-provided end 13a on the end of an extension 33 of said offset 32 has been snapped onto a cross bar adjacent to and more remote than the first-mentioned cross bar from the connecting clip 8. It will be clear that the offset 32 may be reversed so that the extension 33 may lie beneath the spring 6 rather than above, as shown.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what are now contemplated to be the best modes of carrying out the invention, the constructions are, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the patricular forms of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An edge-wire support unit adapted for mounting on the cross bars of a sinuous load-supporting spring that has its ends connected to opposite sides of a support frame and spanning, as a convex arch, across said frame, said unit comprising a length of strap metal annealed to have limited resilience, said unit integrally comprising:

(a) similar ends formed as loops having free end portions, one said loop end being adapted for snap-in engagement from above with one of the cross bars of the sinuous spring, and the other loop end being adapted for snap-in engagement from above with an edge-wire.

(b) a portion extending between the end loops and adapted to engage another of said cross bars to hold the latter 100p end in spaced relation above the support frame, said respective free end portions of the loops being disposed beneath said portion when mounted on said spring.

2. A wire-support unit according to claim 1 in which each loop end is provided with a restricted opening through which the cross bar and edge-Wire are adapted to be forced to effect such snap-in engagement.

3. A Wire-support unit according to claim 1 in which the mentioned portion is formed as a loop dividing the length of strap metal into arms extending at an angle to each other to, thereby, space the end loops one above the other.

4. A wire-support unit according to claim 3 in which the arm having the upper end loop is provided with a longitudinal flexure-resisting reinforcement.

5. An edge-wire support unit adapted for mounting on the cross bars of a sinuous load-supporting spring that has its ends connected to opposite sides of a support frame and spanning, as a convex arch, across said frame, said unit comprising a length of strap metal annealed to have limited resilience, said unit integrally comprising:

(a) similar ends formed as loops, one said loop end being adapted for snap-in engagement with one of the cross bars of the sinuous spring, and the other loop end being adapted for snap-in engagement with an edge-wire, and

(b) a portion extending between the end loops and adapted to engage another of said cross bars to hold the latter loop end in spaced relation above the support frame, said mentioned portion being provided with a re-entrantly bent portion adapted to have snap-retention engagement with another of said cross bars of the sinuous spring, an angularly directed arm extending between said re-entrantly bent portion and one of said end loops.

6. A wire-support unit according to claim 5 in which the two mentioned cross bars are adjacent, and the support is provided with a portion extending between said reentrantly bent portion and the end loop that is adapted to engage the sinuous spring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,210,064 10/1965 Crosby 267-103 3,276,801 10/ 1966 Jones 267-110 X 3,356,359 12/1967 Bond 267-102 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. 

